Published: October 2017. Next review: 2023.
‘Code crimson’ is a term that is commonly used by hospital-based teams managing patients with life-threatening haemorrhage that is refractory to resuscitation.
A code crimson activation streamlines patient access to definitive intervention, including an operating theatre or interventional radiology suite.
This clinical guideline standardises the:
- pre-hospital identification of a trauma code crimson
- activation of a trauma ’code crimson pathway by pre-hospital medical retrieval teams and the subsequent notification to a receiving trauma centre
- procedures instituted by trauma centres following activation of a trauma code crimson pathway.
Download the trauma code crimson pathway (PDF 759.3 KB)
Summary pathway (DOC 109.4 KB) – adapt the criteria and flowchart to your local health district.